It is sometimes necessary to locate a working axis of a tool such as an inspection device or a drill at the center of the hole in a workpiece. In a production environment it may be necessary to accurately locate the hole center in each of a series of substantially identical parts in order to take into account slight differences in hole sizes due to manufacturing tolerances.
Devices exist for locating the center of a hole, but each may have disadvantages. For example, an expanding mandrel may be used to locate a hole center, however expandable mandrels sometimes remain in their expanded position after repeated use and may require rework in order to render them suitable for reuse. Other available centering devices may provide inconsistent results in locating the center of the same sized holes in substantially identical parts, while other devices may be too large or bulky for some applications.
Accordingly, there is a need for a method and device for locating apparatus such as a tool to the center of a hole which is relatively simple, rapid, accurate and provides consistent results.